CADILLAC — In order
to decrease spending by the necessary $350,000 to $1 million to balance
its budget, Wexford County is looking at a number of privatization
opportunities and other cost-saving ideas, including contracting for management
of its civic center.

The county awarded a 10-year contract to Conerly
Management in June. The company will assume any profit and loss over the first
three years, and return 15 percent of its profits to the county afterward,
according to the Cadillac News.

The county also
contracted its payroll to a private company for a savings of $70,000, according
to the Cadillac News. It received bids for the service from three vendors,
including one of its own employees. The employee's bid was the lowest of the
three, but she did not have a certified public accountant's license, which was
a requirement of the bid, according to the News.